Square Enix has released another Final Fantasy IX port, this time for the PS4 console. You can download the game now on PSN. PS Plus subscribers get a nice discount for a limited time.
This port is similar to the version released for the PC last year. It features HD cut-scenes, trophy support, and several gameplay tweaks not included in the original game.
The latter includes the ability to speed up the game and avoid random encounters, which should prove useful when shooting for the Excalibur II challenge. Essentially, they are cheats to make life easier and more convenient for players. For the uninitiated, the Excalibur II challenge requires players to reach a specific room in the final dungeon within 12 hours. The reward is, well, the Excalibur II, the most powerful weapon in the game.
Final Fantasy IX was the last mainline Final Fantasy installment released for the original PlayStation before the series debuted on the PS2 with Final Fantasy X.
Originally released back in 2000, it is considered by fans as one of the best entries in the series. It features an interesting cast of characters, an excellent story and soundtrack, and lots of side-quests. It was a fitting farewell to the console largely responsible for putting the series on the map in the west.
Final Fantasy IX follows the story of Zidane Tribal who is introduced to players as a member of the "Tantalus Theater Troupe," a band of thieves masquerading as entertainers. The game starts off with Zidane out on a mission to kidnap a princess - Princess Garnet/Dagger. After the opening arc, Zidane and his friends find themselves hip-deep in a dark plot orchestrated behind the scenes by a mysterious figure.
Like most other JRPGs, Final Fantasy IX can easily command a 100-hour play-through, especially if one is looking to get all the trophies in the game. Getting the platinum trophy is an almost impossible task considering some of the trophy requirements range from ridiculously time-consuming to outrageously hard.
Anyone game to play the infamous jump rope mini-game and jump 1000 times without tripping over? Good luck, trophy hunters.